


When  Lightning  Strikes Twice

by LittleGirlMurder



Series: a temporary  insanity [2]
Category: Powerpuff Girls
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Aged-Up Character(s), Blood and Gore, Descent into Madness, F/M, Heavy Angst, M/M, Mystery, Past Torture, Revenge, Superhealing sucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:29:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 7,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22207153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleGirlMurder/pseuds/LittleGirlMurder
Summary: When Boomer agreed to gain the trust of the Powerpuff girls, he had no idea what he would be getting into. Relationships are tested and nothing is clear when an ancient threat arises. All six of them are embroiled in a millennia long conspiracy and nobody will be left unscathed. There is only thing everybody knows for sure: Fate can be a real bitch.
Series: a temporary  insanity [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1598569
Kudos: 6





	1. The first  mistake

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own "The Powerpuff Girls". That should be obvious.

_You know, in hindsight, I should have seen this coming._

_It happens all the time in fiction. The hero makes an important decision and decides to come clean about something, only to get busted right after. Or, an innocent person gets framed, everyone suddenly hates them and they spiral into evil. Or worse, insanity._

_Seriously,_ how _did I not see this coming?_

_I guess, at the time, none of us were thinking clearly. It happened too quickly and everyone acted in the heat of the moment. I say 'everyone' and really mean : 'everyone except me'. I had_ plenty _of time to think. They did too, only by then it was too late._

_Let's begin at the beginning. It all started when the boys came back to town... again._

Contrary to popular expectations, when the Rowdyruff Boys came back after a long absence, it wasn't flashy or overstated. They didn't fly in and start trouble. Nobody even noticed them. Little wonder, though. They had changed over the years. A lot. In more ways than just physically.

In an apartment on the outskirts of Townsville, two boys sat around a table.

They were perfectly ordinary boys, really. One had long, flame-red hair. Yawning, the boy reached up and tied it back into a ponytail, shoving a red cap on backwards on top. One of his red eyes opened, lazily scanning the table. He reached out and grabbed a bowl of cereal.

The other boy was dressed completely in forest green. He had green eyes, set in tanned skin. The boy's jet black hair flopped into his eyes. He blew it out of the way periodically, unused to it getting in the way.

The quiet of the room was broken when the door opened. Both of them looked up. A third boy entered.

His face was almost completely obscured by bandages. They went down all the way to his neck, dissapearing in the high collar of his navy sweater. A pair of unnaturally deep blue eyes was the only visible feature. Those eyes were framed with golden blonde hair, which shimmered in the light. The boy's hands were tucked into his pockets.

Wordlessly, he garbbed a bowl off the table and turned to leave.

_Yes, they were perfectly ordinary boys. Except for one thing._ 'Boomer.'

The blonde stopped abruptly.

'What.'

'Where were you?' the redhead asked.

'Around,' Boomer replied vaguely. 'Just walked for a while.'

The redhead frowned.

'You didn't fly?'

'No. Don't worry, I'm not an idiot.'

The black haired boy scoffed. Tensing, Boomer turned to glare at his brother. Lightning fizzled and cracked beneath his skin, lighting it with an eerie glow.

_... they were superhuman_.

Boomer closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The glow faded. The lightning was absorbed back into his bloodstream. Boomer stood silently, clutching the bowl in his hands. He turned on his heel and walked through the door. It shut behind him with a quiet click.

When he left, Brick glared at Butch.

'Do you have to rile him up like that?' he growled.

Butch scoffed again. He crossed both arms behind his head and leaned back in his chair.

'Like you don't do worse.'

'Yes, but this is Townsville. We can't just fly to some clearing and train out our anger anymore.'

'Why do we have to hide anyway? We can beat the girls anytime.' Butch said casually.

Brick scowled.

'Just leave Boomer alone, Butch. Me too, for that matter. I need to think.'

Butch rolled his eyes. Neither said another word as they ate, the peaceful atmosphere shattered.

Both the boys and the girls were no longer so easy to spot. All had gained normal human features, such as fingers, noses. They now looked about 12 years in age. But that wasn't the only difference, not for the boys. Their intelligence had grown at a rapid pace in their years travelling around America. Unfortunately, the girls didn't much think about their counterparts nowadays. Which would be their first fatal mistake.

Bubbles Utonium had always been a kind girl. Her sympathy for living beings knew no bounds. That didn't change as she grew. What did change, however, was Bubbles' maturity. When she was a child, everything seemed black and white. Good was good, evil was evil. And that was that. Now however, things were no longer quite so simple. Bubbles couldn't judge as she did before. She knew more know. A lot more.

(The Professor had sat her and her sisters down and had a long talk with them. The things they talked about ranged from how some people would begin treating them, now that they had human features, to how other people treated _each other_ , to harsh truths. It wasn't enough for Bubbles. She had gone online later and searched through the internet. What she found horrified her.)

One early morning, she was taking a walk around the city by herself. Bubbles enjoyed walking. It gave her time to think. Lost in thought, she wandered far to the outskirts of Townsville.That was when she saw a boy completely covered in bandages. She couldn't help wondering. Scenario after scenario popped up in her head. Each was worse than the other. Bubbles bit her lip.

Something inside her was screaming that this boy needed help. And Bubbles always was such a kind girl.

When the boy returned home, she followed. Unseen by anyone.

**Fate was set in motion that day. The first mistake had been made. The only question is...** **... by who?**


	2. Calm before  the  Storm : bad omens  1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own this cartoon, this is for entertainment purposes only.

_It all seems so ridiculous when I think back on everything now. Ridiculously pathetic that is. My triplet brothers, stewing in their own vileness,_ choking _on it. The Girls, with their righteousness, their hypocrisy, their goddamned_ attitude. _That's right, I said hypocrisy. What else would you call beating up villains while_ being _villains themselves? They steal, remember? They murder too._

We _have the excuse of having been newly born. How the hell were we supposed to know what was right and what was wrong? We weren't even an hour old! And the girls_ killed us _!!! I mean, did anyone even bother to call them out on that? If that isn't enough, then remember how they reacted when we were resurrected? That's right. They tried to kill us. Repeatedly. Before we even did anything._

_I feel really stupid for believing them now. I feel stupid for believing anyone at all._

Boomer had long since learned how to control his lightning. After long, gruelling hours of training, it came as naturally as breathing. Or, it should have. It did. Most of the time. Sometimes, he lost control. Whenever he was emotional, most of the time angry or afraid, his powers reacted.

Like earlier that day. In the kitchen.

Boomer was in his room, floating around it aimlessly. He did that all the time. Whenever he needed to think, relax or just had a long day. Floating was peaceful. Calming. He floated a lot, these days.(He'd had no idea.) _(He never even saw it coming. He should have though.)_

Boomer knew that Brick was plotting. His triplet was not subtle. (Neither of them were. So _how?_ ) He also knew the plan would involve him somehow. His triplets plans always did. Boomer and his golden hair and wide blue eyes radiated innocence even when he was plotting how to kill. It was a talent, a gift. The only thing he was good for.

_("You know, sometimes I wonder. Do they remember that the Rowdyruff boys would be_ nothing _without me?")_

The blonde ran his hands over his bandages. They were firmly in place, hiding his beauty, his innocence, his _curse_. Just as safe as the day he first hid. Fingers stroked the fabric. Smooth and soft and rough and _sure_. Hiding him. Like they always have. If Brick got his way, (and he would) they would be coming off soon.

The hands stopped. Slowly, they clenched into fists. An eerie glow lit up Boomer's skin. Electricity crackled and sparkled in him. Boomer couldn't stop resentment welling inside of him. He never even tried.

**That was the second bad omen. A sign of things to come. Pity that nobody thought to check on the blue brother.**

_**Pity for** _ **them** _**that is.** _


	3. Gathering  Storm clouds : bad omens  2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Blah, blah blah, mayflowerbel does not own "The Powerpuff girls "

_I can't seem to stop thinking about it. It keeps replaying, over and over and over again. Like I've got it on permanent record in my head. I wish I could forget. Just... forget. Maybe it'll stop hurting so much. Maybe if I forgot, I could stop these_ emotions.

_Unfortunately_ , I _have no talent cutting people off from their emotions. If I did, none of this would be happening right now. And I would never have become this monster I am now. Or maybe I would have. Maybe I was just screwed from the beginning. Who knows?_

_In any case, I'm pretty sure I've figured out pretty much everything that led up to_ that day. _And they call me stupid! Look, pot, meet your good friend kettle! You're_ both _black! So WHY DON'T YOU QUIT BEING A HYPOCRITE!_

Blossom knew something was wrong as soon as Bubbles came home. The blonde girl was pale and nibbling her lip. She kept on opening her mouth, stopping abruptly, then shaking her head and closing it. Blossom kept a concerned eye on her all the way through breakfast.

'Blossom...'

The redhead stopped and turned to look.

'Yes, Bubbles?'

The aforementioned girl fidgeted. She opened her mouth hesitantly.

'Well, if I noticed that something was wrong with someone...' she shook her head. 'Wait, forget it. It's stupid.'

'Bubbles...' Blossom frowned.

The blonde smiled wide. It didn't look quite right when she was that pale and worried.

'Seriously, Blossom. Don't worry about it.'

Hesitantly, Blossom nodded.

'If you're sure,' she said slowly.

If her sister didn't want to talk whatever was wrong, Blossom wouldn't force her.

Bubbles sighed and massaged her temples as soon as she was alone. She knew she was acting ridiculous. That boy's business was his own. Nothing at all to do with her. They didn't even know each other! But something about him was strangely familiar. Unsettling too.

The girl sank down to the floor. She put her head against the wall. Slowly, she counted inside her head, breathing softly all the while. _Zero. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen._ Wait. Bubbles frowned. The numbers seemed wrong.

Bubbles pressed a hand to her chest, heart sinking. She always counted numbers inside her head when something odd happened. Whenever she got this cold, clawing, sinking feeling in her stomach. It had started after a particularly strange fight with a villain they hadn't seen before then. (Or since, but that was beside the point) She had not mentioned it to anybody, but ever since then, she'd had these _feelings._

Bubbles flew to the window. She looked out, anxious expression settling on her face. _(There was a chill in the air.)_

'A storm's coming,' she noted worriedly.

**The third bad omen. The third warning.**

**All three had come in blue, of course. The third in the light sky. The second in the sea deep.**

**And the first? Had come long, long ago.**


	4. what you wish for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

_If I had known what I would be in for, I would have barricaded myself in my room and refused to come out._

_Agreeing to that plan was a bad idea. I mean, last time I agreed to something this drastic... Well. That is a totally different story, but let me tell you, it was a total fiasco. And a whole heap of trouble. So yeah, bad idea. REALLY bad idea. But I've been known for my brains, have I? I guess, I just... didn't think. Just like I didn't think the first time we did something on this scale._

_I NEVER think, that's my problem, my biggest flaw. Always has been, always will be. Not really surprising that it's me who ended up in this mess._

_But it just isn't FAIR. All I wanted was to prove that I was strong, to try to reach out to people again, to be a better person, dammit! And look where that got me. Bitter, unstable and more alone than ever. Oh, and let's not forget that my powers are literally_ killing _me. What do people always say when this kind of thing happens? Ah, right. I remember now._

_Be careful what you wish for, because it might just come true._

* * *

Boomer spent a lot of time wandering around Townsville. Getting reacquainted with it again. The radical changes in his appearance and the bandages he wore constantly ensured he wouldn't be recognised, so long as he didn't use any of his powers. The citizens of Townsville were also fairly dim, so he was pretty sure that as long as he didn't run into any of the Girls, he'd be just fine. His "older" brothers, on the other hand, had to be much more careful. Brick's red eyes and Rapunzel-esque hair were very distinctive and Butch couldn't _not_ use his powers if his life depended on it. With Brick's planning still in progress, he kept all except Boomer confined to their apartment.

'If we go out and use our powers, we run the risk of someone seeing. That someone will blab to the Girls. _They_ will realise it's us and we can't afford catching their attention, not now. So, no complaining Butch.'

The result was that Boomer also spent a lot of time running errands. Such as shopping. Mostly for groceries, but occasionally, one of his brothers would ask him for something else. Sometimes for something practical (Brick), sometimes disturbing (Butch). _(Every day, in the morning, Boomer silently thanked the universe for the literal miracle that had gotten them stable funds._ Legal _ones too! Legal money was much less of a hassle. Stealing was much too much trouble for the blonde's taste. )_ It was a pain, but whenever he got annoyed, Boomer would remind himself of the times they had to starve for weeks at a time. The blond shuddered at the memory, habitually putting a hand on his stomach. Being superhuman stopped them from dying of starvation, but that didn't mean it hurt any less. In fact, their Chemical X-ed healing factor only made things so much worse.

Currently, he was sitting in a park,under a tree that stood by the water. Deep blue eyes stared blankly at the rippling liquid, taking in the beautiful way the dawn light reflected off its surface. At this hour, the park was deserted. Most of the Townsville was, really, with the majority of people still asleep in their beds. The reason Boomer wasn't was positively mundane: he couldn't sleep. It had been a rough night. For him and his brothers both. He had taken the first opportunity he could to get away.

The superhuman yawned, raking a hand through his messy hair. There were eye bags beneath his eyes, his movements were sluggish and painful. It was as if his every muscle and every vein had been filled with lead. And yet, he was here. Eyes blankly staring, refusing to close. Boomer pursed his lips in a pout. _"Maybe it's a side effect of our healing factor. If so, it sucks."_

As lost in his own head as he was, Boomer did not notice the approach of someone's footfalls. The person plonked their body on the opposite side of the tree. Boomer started, as he registered someone's breath and heartbeat.

'Why would anyone be up so early?' he wondered aloud.

'I should be asking you that.'

A girls voice. Around his own age, most likely, judging by the pitch. If he concentrated, the way blood rushed around her body and the sound of her heartbeat. Boomer looked around, quickly spotting a now-fading streak of light blue in the sky. His eyes popped.

'Wait, you're-' he gasped, heart jumping to his throat. Dread blanketed him, crept into his very bones.

_''No way. Oh please, please no. Sweet baby Jesus, God and Satan, NO. I can't be THAT unlucky. Please tell me I'm just hallucinating, or something.''_

_Bubbles_ giggled, the sound high and sudden in the early morning peace. Boomer's heart sank.

'Yep. That's me.'

Boomer bit back the reflexive curse, biting his lips hard enough to draw blood.

 _''Oh fuck me sideways. Brick is going to KILL me.''_ the blonde mentally wailed, misery spiralling to his core. He glared at the water, hoping some higher entity would take pity and drown him.

It'd certainly be a lot kinder than what his brother would do.


	5. a rough night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Still don't own "The Powerpuff Girls"

_Why is my luck so bad? Part of it is my rashness, sure, but I refuse to believe that's it. I have the worst luck of anyone I know. Is it karma or something? Because I'm a villain? But that doesn't make sense either. I was trying to reform. I_ wanted _to be better, I really did! Not anymore, obviously, but back them I did! It's just that, just when I decided, things went straight to hell. For me, and me only._

_Now that I think about it, that's not the only time something like that happened. My first, best and only friend persuaded me to reform back then too. And everything went straight to hell for BOTH of us right after then too. It's like a curse or something. Or maybe the Universe is really determined to keep me a villain. Well, I can take a hint._

_If everyone thinks of me as nothing but a villain, then I'll BE one._

* * *

Boomer was sure that the Universe was laughing at him right now.

'Hey, so, why _are_ you up so early? I was patrolling just now. What about you?'

Boomer gulped. Suddenly, his throat felt as dry as the Sahara Desert.

'I had a rough night with my little brother.' he said, deciding to go with the truth.

Blitz had been created several years ago. It was the culmination of a horrific accident, Brick's plan, and some Chemical X from each of their blood. He had the same basic power-set as all super-children created with Chemical X, but with a cruel twist: he got destabilised if he used them too much. For them, using their powers was as natural as breathing. None of them could imagine what it must be like, to be their sickly, frail brother. Blitz went through an unimaginable amount of pain whenever he suppressed his powers. And if he didn't suppress them, he switched to a monstrous, unstable form. He was a lot of trouble, but none of them regretted his existence.

'He's really frail and gets sick a lot, see.'

Boomer didn't bother suppressing the smile that tugged at his lips, or the fond tone when he spoke of his little brother.

'You really love him, don't you?' Bubbles asked in a wistfully quiet tone.

Boomer would have gagged at the very _idea_ of love as a child. He would have scoffed at the notion of loving any of his brothers as a preteen. He still would've refuted it, had his counterpart asked about anyone other than Blitz.

'Yes.' he said simply. 'Yes I do.

* * *

Living with someone as sickly and frail as Blitz was nothing short of utterly exhausting. He required a lot of medicine and a constant, large supply of pain relief. He got feverish and ill after extended use of his powers and was in pain even after temporary recovery. The amount of pain relief medicine it took to actually _work_ on a superhuman, even one like Blitz, was staggering. And exorbitantly expensive.

Boomer still adored him.

He'd knocked on his little brother's door and let himself in first thing after returning.

'Hey Blitz,' Boomer called quietly, leaning against the door. The shape in the bed stirred.

A thin, young boy, pale from sickness, sat up in bed. He had chocolate brown silky hair, huge royal purple eyes and was a pretty, pretty little thing. He was very like Boomer in his looks, more _pretty_ than _handsome._ His resemblance to Boomer's only friend was freakish, and a hell of a lot more than a mere coincidence. Boomer had made sure of that.

'Hey Boomer,' yawned Blitz, rubbing his eyes with a sleeve.

'How are you feeling?' the blonde asked.

Blitz shrugged, wincing only faintly at the movement.

'A lot better, I guess. I'm just really tired.'

Blitz suddenly narrowed his eyes, tensing. He looked at Boomer intently.

'You're nervous. Something happened.' he declared.

The blonde smiled wryly.

'Can't hide anything from you.'

'Just your emotions.' Blitz corrected.

One of Blitz' special powers was Empathy, a passive Sensory power that allowed him to feel the emotions of others, manipulate them as he saw fit, or switch them off outright. It was also one of the reasons he was so frail. Blitz being an Empath meant no one could hide from him, or take him by surprise. A skill that had come in handy with Butch quite frequently.

'So?' demanded Blitz. 'What happened?'

Boomer sighed.

'I bumped into Bubbles Utonium,' he said, wincing.

Blitz choked on air, eyes widening.

'You're _kidding.'_ he breathed.

'I wish...' Boomer groaned, thumping down onto the bed.

'What's she like? How much did she change? Did she recognise you?' the brunet asked in rapid succession, not stopping to take a breath.

Boomer raised an eyebrow.

'If she'd recognised me, I wouldn't be sitting here,' he replied drily, gesturing to himself.

They talked for a long time, the weight of his nerves lessening gradually.

* * *

Much to Boomer's surprise, and relief, Brick didn't take the news badly. In fact, he seemed thoughtful, sinking into silence after Boomer shared his news. They were both in the living room, Butch having shut himself in his room to try to get some sleep.

Resolutely ignoring his own cold sweat, the blonde waited for his brother to say something. Anything.

'Brick? ' he asked hesitantly.

A slow smile spread over his triplet's face. Dread pooled in Boomer's stomach.


	6. smart and plotting, open and honest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own "The Powerpuff Girls". This for entertainment purposes only.

_When we were younger, Brick would drown me. There was a set pattern to it. It's obvious, when I think back on it. He was always pissed and I was always there and that had always been enough._

_Funny, isn't it, how easy it is to block out unpleasant memories. The things you don't want to face, or the things you cannot afford to face. I used to think that it was just how things were, between brothers. Maybe it is, I don't know. What I do know is that it's never_ that _extreme. Not between normal brothers. And we're anything_ but _normal._

_So, yes, Brick drowned me. Threw me into a lake and got Butch to hold me down. There was one time..._

_I can't remember how long I had stayed down in that water, that time. It felt like hours. Just... holding my breath. Completely still. Frozen. Like Brick suddenly gained Blossom's ice powers. Like the entire lake had been frozen solid. Like I couldn't move, no matter how hard I tried._

_It was so cold._

_My blood, my bones, my everything... were cold._

* * *

Boomer could feel his disbelief rising higher with every word.

 _He wants me to_ what?

'You want me to WHAT?' he echoed incredulously.

'Gain their trust, dumb-ass.' Brick repeated, impatience clear in his voice.

The blond gaped at his brother in utter shock.

He couldn't be serious.

'Why would you even want to?' Boomer eventually said.

The redhead rolled his eyes and slapped his brother on the head.

'Boomer, quit bein' slow. It's not that hard to figure out.'

'I'm not being slow,' Boomer muttered waspishly back, rubbing his head with a glare.

Brick scoffed, leaning back in the couch he sat on.

'Well then, you already know why.'

Boomer bit back his reflexive retort. Much as he hated to admit it, his triplet's plan was smart. People had always trusted Boomer more readily, he was the best at subtlety, surprisingly enough. And they needed more information, which even Bubbles by herself could and would give them. If she thought he was just a random boy and not her old enemy.

'Fine, whatever,' he sighed. Turning on his heel, he went towards his room. Brick didn't make a move to stop him.

Boomer could feel the burn of red eyes the whole way.

* * *

 _Why am I doing this? Any of this? It's not like there's any point anymore. I have nobody. Nobody at all who'd care if I died right now. Wait, no. Let me rephrase that: everybody would_ rejoice _if I died right now. And maybe I should. It'd save Blitz a whole heap of trouble, that's for sure. It'd save me trouble too. If I died, I wouldn't have to care so much about things anymore. I wouldn't have to exist. It would be peaceful. Peaceful and relaxing and definitely a lot more than I deserve._

_Death is too simple. And I still have so much to do, so many people to deal out revenge to. So many assholes, so little time. Ah well. The life of a vengeance-driven villain, I guess!_

* * *

Boomer was floating just above his bed, staring aimlessly into space. It had been a fairly quiet day so far. He'd woken up early, chatted with Blitz over breakfast and shut himself in his room to get away from Brick and Butch. All in all, very normal. Suspiciously normal. Abnormally normal. Every time he thought about it, the feeling of creeping dread in his gut rose that much higher.

The conversation with Brick from yesterday kept replaying in his mind. Things would be getting real interesting soon. Brick just needed time to plot. Boomer could almost taste the tension in the air. It was like the world itself was waiting.

He had always hated waiting.

The door abruptly opened, slamming harshly and inviting in a gust of air. Boomer started, falling back onto the bed with an 'oof!'.

Butch was standing at the doorway, smirking. Unfairly tall, especially for his (their) age. All sharp angles and strong features. There was a certain wildness to him. It was in the way he moved, firm and forceful. It was in how never held anything back, wood and stone cracking, steel bending, all at the slightest touch. It was in his voice, the confident and arrogant inflections. Butch could be brutal and violent and bloodthirsty, sure. In fact, most of the time, he was. But there was a lot more than that to him, nowadays. Butch was open and honest, never bothering to hold anything back, never seeing the _point._ The complete opposite of subtle.

At the moment though, he was just annoying.

The blonde sat up, tense and scowling. He had too many bad memories of Butch barging in just like this to let his guard down.

_'Get out.'_

'Aw,' Butch said in mocking sing song. 'Why so mad, Boom?'

 _'Because,'_ Boomer ground out. 'you just invaded my personal space.'

Butch continued to invade his personal space by inviting himself in and leaning on the edge of the desk.

Boomer groaned.

'What are you even doing here, Butch?'

The raven raised an eyebrow.

'Can't a guy just want to talk to his brother?' he asked.

'Not when it's you,' Boomer countered with an eye roll.

Butch laughed a little.

'Fair.'

Boomer brought his knees up to his chest, staring expectantly at Butch.

'So?'

The raven's lips thinned into a line. Forest green met sea blue for a few impossibly long seconds. Then looked away. Sea blue eyes narrowed.

'Look, I don't know what the hell happened,' Butch began, staring at the floor. 'but Brick's been silent the whole day. It's creeping me out.'

Boomer raised an eyebrow.

'And how is that my problem?' he asked.

Butch looked up and rolled his eyes.

''Cause he's only that quiet when he's plotting, and you know it.'

'So.'

The raven's gaze sharpened, eyes narrowing. Boomer stared back.

_'What did you do?'_


	7. good company

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own "The Powerpuff Girls". This for entertainment purposes only.

_Let me make one thing clear: Brick was never quiet._

_It was always the one thing he and Butch had in common. Both of them were arrogant jerks who never saw any point to second guessing themselves. Once they made a decision, they would stick to it. So if they made a promise, they kept it. (Remember this, it'll be important later.)_

_Anyway, Brick was loud. At first he was full of empty bluster, all boasting and no substance. We were all idiots, back when we were kids. But we changed._ _Now, he can actually back his boasting up. The worst kind of assholes are the ones who are actually_ right.

_When he gets quiet and thoughtful, you know it's gonna get interesting, fast._

_I just didn't realise_ how _interesting._

* * *

Boomer was waiting. He sat impatiently beneath a tree, leaning back against the bark, one leg tucked under him, the other kicking lightly at the water. Ever since that conversation they had a few days ago, he and Bubbles have been meeting at that exact same spot, early in the morning when practically no one was awake except the two of them.

It was - actually, it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Bubbles was surprisingly easy to just... be around. Since they never used to interact outside of fights, he was actually getting to know her for the first time.

A familiar streak of light blue approached, rapidly growing closer. In the next second, there she was, waving and smiling. Boomer didn't bother to sit up. Instead, he absently patted the space beside him, staring into the water intently. As if fascinated by the way it rippled, the early-morning light painting it a variety of colours.

'So,' he began, tone completely nonchalant. 'I heard something really interesting happened over the weekend. To one of your sisters.'

Bubbles grinned and nodded, shaking in an effort to suppress her giggles. The other blond settled more comfortably and stared at her, expectant. Still grinning, Bubbles started her tale.

'It all began when Blossom-'

The two of them _talked,_ like they never could have with anybody else. Bubbles had the same cute, innocent exterior and well, _bubbly,_ behaviour that he did. She was the so-called "youngest and weakest" as well, she dealt with the same condescension from her sisters as he did by his brothers. Bubbles was his counterpart, in so many ways other than appearance, colour scheme and personality.

It was... refreshing. Not what he had come to expect from his triplet's crazy-yet-genius plans. Bubbles was funny and sweet, with a snarky side he appreciated. All in all, good company, that Boomer was starting to think he would regret having to betray.

'-and then she crashed straight into it, like "wam! pow"' Bubbles cut herself off as she collapsed into helpless giggles. 'Y-you s-should have seen... the look on her _face..._ when she rea-bwahahaha-realised...'

Boomer laughed along with her, inwardly cackling in glee.

_Oh maaaan, Miss high-and-mighty-Ice-Queen Blossom herself! Wait till Brick hears about this!_

Betrayal could wait.


	8. character profiles: blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own "The Powerpuff Girls". This for entertainment purposes only.

**CHARACTER PROFILES: BLUE**

NAME: Boomer

Age: physically twelve, years experienced ambiguous.

Appearance: Golden blonde-yellow blonde hair, usually wears bandages on his face, sea blue/deep blue eyes, pretty, cute, adorable, radiates air of innocence.

Personality: manipulative, jaded, unstoppable when seriously pushed to the brink, knows how to read people, social, adores his brother, Blitz.

Powers: Super strength, light speed, enhanced eyesight and durability, healing factor, flight, limited invulnerability, lightning manipulation, electricity manipulation, tech manipulation, sound manipulation, plus numerous others.

More to be revealed.

* * *

NAME: Bubbles Utonium

Age: physically 12, years experienced ambiguous.

Appearance: Golden blonde, yellow blonde hair at medium length, light blue/sky blue eyes, pretty, cute, adorable, radiates air of innocence.

Personality: bubbly, social, knows how to read people, kind, sweet, manipulative, unstoppable when pushed to losing it.

Powers: Super strength, light speed, enhanced eyesight and durability, healing factor, flight, limited invulnerability, minor weather manipulation, water manipulation, sound manipulation, plus numerous others.

More to be revealed.


	9. character profiles: purple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own "The Powerpuff Girls". This for entertainment purposes only.

**CHARACTER PROFILES: PURPLE**

NAME: Blitz

Age: physically 8/10, years experienced ambiguous.

Appearance: Chocolate brown hair, royal purple/dark purple eyes, pretty, cute, sickly pallor, extremely weak physically, thin.

Personality: Quiet, dreamy, optimistic, will of steel, loyal, awkward, comes off as mysterious/bitchy, is actually a total dork. Traumatised, due to death.

Powers: Super strength, light speed, enhanced eyesight and durability, healing factor, flight, limited invulnerability, blood drain, power drain, empath, empathic sensory, empathic active. He cannot use them too long or he gets destabilised. Requires steady supply of chemical x blood, or a huge amount of normal blood.

* * *

***SPOILER WARNING! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!***

NAME: Bunny Utonium

Age: 8/10 physically, years experienced ambiguous.

Appearance: Honey brown, messy hair to mid-back, lilac/light purple eyes, cute, small.

Personality: Shy, optimistic, dedicated, hard-working, loyal, awkward, comes off as mysterious/bitchy, is actually a total dork. Loves gardening. Traumatised and has mental block on her powers due to death.

Powers: Super strength, light speed, enhanced eyesight and durability, healing factor, flight, limited invulnerability, power sharing, growth-enhancement manipulation. She cannot use them for too long, gets tired quickly. Has mental block, due to her death.


	10. the sun on my skin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own "The Powerpuff Girls". This for entertainment purposes only.

_I miss those days. (_ _They were heaven compared to now.)_

_I miss knowing that I could go out whenever I wanted. I miss the sun, I miss the sun on my skin being a daily occurrence. (I didn't appreciate any of it.)_ _I miss having people I could trust. (_ _I can't trust_ her _after all. And there's nobody here except the two of us.)_ _Most of all, I miss the people I was close to. Friends and family. (Before they all betrayed me. Before everything went to hell.)_

_Sometimes, in this horrible place, I get so lonely it hurts._

* * *

The question came out of nowhere. They were sitting in a comfortable silence, him against the tree as always, Bubbles lying on her back with her hands beneath her head. Abruptly, she sat up and turned to look at him. Boomer followed her movements with lazy eyes.

'Hey, wanna go get pizza?'

Boomer blinked slowly, unsure how to answer.

'Where did that come from?' he asked curiously and tilted his head to the side in question.

'I'm hungry.' Bubbles said, shrugging.

_Okay, fair._

'Okay, why not. Half and half each?'

'Are you talking about the pizza, or the money?'

'Both.'

* * *

It was an interesting experience.

Interesting, because it felt so _normal,_ that is.

Boomer hesitated at the entrance. Mostly because he remembered that he would actually have to take the bandages _off_ to eat. He stood stock still at the entrance. Panicked thoughts raced wildly through his mind. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

_What if she recognises me?_

_Don't be ridiculous, you look too different. There's no way she'll put two and two together._

_But what if she_ does?

_She won't. And anyway, it'll look even more suspicious if you just stand here._

_Fuck, you're right._

With a nervous gulp, Boomer pushed the door open and followed Bubbles inside. The tinkling sound of a bell rang after him.

* * *

Bubbles pored over the menu, seated across the table from him. Boomer stared at the laminated paper.

He'd never actually been inside any kind of public establishment, save the grocery stores. _(That sounds so pathetic, even just in my head.)_ He read and watched about them, but that obviously was not the same thing.

It was both over and under whelming at the same time. Overwhelming, because here, people were talking to each other, the atmosphere was jovial and relaxed. Nobody was hurrying anywhere. And he was here with somebody else, which was definitely new. Underwhelming, because... Honestly? He'd expected more. The pizza place was normal, mundane by comparison. It wasn't as special as what he expected.

'May I take your order?' asked the waitress.

'I'll have a large Hawaiian and a Pepsi, please.' Bubbles said with a smile.

'Large BBQ Chicken and Sprite for me,' Boomer answered after a moment.

The waitress took down their order and left.

Later, as he stared at the food, steaming and fresh in front of them, the blond inwardly shuddered with nerves.

_I can't believe myself. Why did I agree to this again?_

Oh right. He didn't think. Like always.

Cursing himself, Boomer slowly, painfully slowly, reached up to the bandages he wore. He began to unwind them with utmost care, almost reverently.

The bandages weren't really necessary. They were more of a remnant. A memory and a reminder, of the circumstances that led to the reality Blitz had to live with every day of his second life. _(he had gotten careless, once. he could not afford to let it happen again.)  
_

Tremulously, he looked up.

Bubbles continued to chat with him in between bites of pizza, unfazed.

Boomer resisted the urge to laugh hysterically.

_She didn't notice._

* * *

All in all, it wasn't really that different to the time they usually spent together. A normal day spent with Bubbles, just with a change in scenery. What made this day in particular so significant was what came after that. When Boomer was going home. He and Bubbles had split up after finishing the pizza and Bubbles flew home. It was afternoon by then, the heat of midday having passed, the heat dropping to a more comfortable temperature.

Boomer was walking along the streets at a sedate pace, mind wandering. The first warning sign was that the streets were empty, utterly devoid of people.

The second warning sign was that it was silent. Not even a bird's cry interrupted the stillness.

The blond stopped and looked around, brows furrowing in confusion.

That was when he first saw _her._

Boomer felt an odd sensation of coldness constricting his throat that would soon grow to be intimately familiar. Chill prickling at his skin, he looked up. And there she was. A girl, looking two years older than him, sky blue silk, ruffles and long white ribbons of shimmering cloth flowing in a nonexistent breeze, mixing with long, luxurious, blue-black hair. The girl was slight, neat and slender, with sleek, sharp features. She would have been very beautiful, if not for the eerie, creeping sensation of wrongness settling all about her, like a cloak. As it was, she wasn't pretty or attractive. Merely disturbing and macabre in every way.

The girl smiled, flashing white, gleaming teeth. Boomer shivered, skin crawling.

He tried to open his mouth; to speak. To his horror, his throat constricted, his lips stayed sealed shut. Not a sound came out.

The girl laughed and laughed and laughed.


	11. wisps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own "The Powerpuff Girls". This for entertainment purposes only.

**I always know when one of my brothers is lying to me. It's easy to tell, when you can feel every** **emotion that the people who surround you feel. They cannot hide anything from me if I don't let them, and they know it. Nobody can.** **It's hard to get believe, even now, years and years after I was re(-born, -created, -vived). It's still hard to believe that I have these powers, that I was dead and am alive now and that I drink my brothers blood to survive.**

**I don't think I'll ever get used to it, really. It's like something out of a dream. Or one of those elaborate stories I make up in my head, to pass the time. On some days, I keep thinking _this is it, i'll wake up now_ but it never happens. I'm Blitz, I have three older brothers and I always, always know.**

* * *

Blitz was lying on the bed, turned to face the wall, one hand underneath the pillow, the other clenching the bed-sheets. His messy brown hair was spread out on the pillow, thin, frail body hidden under numerous blankets and pillows that littered the bed. The normally pale, sickly pallor of his skin was replaced the blush of heavy fever, sweat beaded on his forehead. Even though his room was constantly kept at just the right temperature (Brick came in every now and then to adjust it), he was shivering all over.

And yet, despite his obvious frailty, his skin, his muscles and blood, carried immense power. Just like all of his siblings.

The thought was still alien to him. No, that wasn't quite right. In his first life, _(_ _i can't believe i can say that now. is that sad or cool?)_ he had often created scenarios, stories, really, just like this in his head. Wisps of ideas that never quite took shape enough to put to paper. There had been too many of those. He always had an excuse, a cop-out. Homework, chores, mealtime, plain old laziness. Not in this life though. _(seriously though, is that cool or sad?)_ In this life, he was confined to his bed with nothing to do, eighty percent of the time. Blitz was, after all, unstable. Frail, at least by superhuman standards. Letting him outside for too long was risky, and often ended disastrously.

So, the brunet spent the majority of his time either daydreaming, or writing those daydreams down. Or chatting with his best-friend-turned-brother. Which was a whole different story.

* * *

They had been awkward around him, at first.

Blitz couldn't blame them. Who wouldn't be awkward after accidentally killing someone, bringing them back to life as your own brother, then realising that he could remember his death?

The days immediately following his revival, Blitz had spent in a haze of instinct and instability, a monster. When he regained full cognitive ability, the vast majority of his memories were gone. He still could only remember snatches and certain, significant, moments of his first life. Many included Boomer as a central figure.

* * *

There was a short, sharp knock before the door was thrown open and rapidly closed. Blitz didn't even flinch. Those volatile, ocean-like, waves of emotion were intimately familiar by now. There was the usual sharp, acrid bitterness, along with irritation that clawed at his skin and twisted in unpleasant, aggravating knots. Shock and horror twined together, sending Blitz's head reeling.

'What happened?' he asked hoarsely.

Boomer turned to him, wide eyed.


	12. the dream is a lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own "The Powerpuff Girls". This for entertainment purposes only.

_It had happened quickly._

* * *

The next two weeks in a half-dreamlike state. Everything blended together in an unsettling way. Most days, Boomer could not even remember the things he said or did an hour ago. There was a constant ringing in his ears, a whispering he could not ignore. His mind felt sluggish and sleepy, as if heavy fog permeated his every thought and decision. He should have felt panicked. He _would have_ felt panicked. Except, the emotions normally roiling in him felt... muted somehow.

Did he ask Blitz to use his powers? Why though?

_I..._

He could feel an odd sort of softness too, a steady gentle pulse.

_I can't..._

Was he dreaming? Was that softness a dream?

_Can't... can't remember..._

If so, he never wanted to wake up.

_Something's wrong..._

It was so nice in this dream.

_It's a lie._

Boomer was never worried or angry or afraid or in _pain_ anymore.

_The dream is a LIE!_

Boomer never wanted to leave. Ever.

 _LET. ME._ OUT _OF HERE!_

Everything was alright.

_NO IT'S NOT!_

Everything was great, as long as Boomer stayed.

_L-let..._

_...me..._

_..out - of-_

_-here..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will no longer be updated, but anyone who's interested can check out the rewritten version when I upload it.


End file.
